Gabby Douglas is defending her USA gymnast team after recent comments were made by substitution, MyKayla Skinner.
The 28-year-old gymnast who has been competing in the Olympics since 2012 – and holds many titles – was unable to take part in the event that is being held in Paris due to an ankle injury. “I’m sad to say that due to a foot injury during practice I will not be able to continue my 2024 journey. This may be the end of this chapter but not the end of my gymnastics story.” She noted in an Instagram post.
She recalled to People, “It was very bittersweet…And it was actually doing my signature skill, which is the [standing] full on the beam.”
Though she will be absent her former teammate Simone Biles will represent the nation alongside Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly Rivera. Their hard work and resilience is noticed in every sweat they leave on the mat, except it was not something former olympian MyKayla Skinner expressed in her recent comments.
“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be…Just notice like, I mean, obviously a lot of girls don’t work as hard,” she stated in her Youtube video that has been removed.
Shortly after she received backlash from a handful of people she disclosed via her Instagram stories, “I feel like a lot of you guys had misinterpreted or misunderstood exactly what I was meaning or had said…A lot of the stuff that I was talking about wasn’t always necessarily about the current team, because I love and support all the girls that made it and I’m so proud of them.”
After hearing her remarks, Gabby chimed in on the subject during a talk with E! News. “Honestly, if you have a certain way of doing things, listen to your body…If you don’t need hours of pounding or you don’t need a tougher coach, and it works for you, then I say why not structure around how your mind is, how your body is?,” she said. “I really believe that you can’t put everyone in the same category…That’s just my take on it, everyone’s different.”
